Student Issues

The 16th World Festival of Students and Youth has come to a close. As we have explained on more than one occasion, the task is now to gather our forces, take our experiences to heart, and forge forward to the world revolution. The bonds we made and the lessons we learned will never leave us. They will become our greatest assets in our individual roles in the collective struggle and also in passing on the knowledge we gained.

The 16th World Festival of Students and Youth has come to a close. As we have explained on more than one occasion, the task is now to gather our forces, take our experiences to heart, and forge forward to the world revolution. The bonds we made and the lessons we learned will never leave us. They will become our greatest assets in our individual roles in the collective struggle and also in passing on the knowledge we gained.

What exactly have we learned? For each person there will be a different answer. However, for many there will have been a recurring theme. That is, internationalist solidarity. It seems that this was, at least in this writer 's opinion, the mentality adopted by most of the delegates once they began to meet with their comrades from around the world. Once we began to learn about each other's struggles on a more personal level, the world revolution became less of an abstract scientific necessity, and more of a physiological one. We began to feel the urge for emancipation from capitalist exploitation in our blood and in our bones.

From the inspiring Bolivarian Socialist revolution to the massive uprisings in Bolivia; from the militant unionism in Argentina to the heroic struggles in Colombia; Latin America is in revolutionary ferment. We learned from great comrades and friends that this will not stop. On the contrary, the process is deepening.

The Latin American revolution is now at a decisive point. All of these revolutions - in Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, etc. - are linked in an unbreakable bond. A victory for one is a victory for all and a blow against one revolution, against one revolutionary, is a blow against us all. In the words of Benjamin Franklin on the eve of the American Revolution, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." No more relevant words can be found for the working people of the world today. Now we all depend on each other. Now we must all struggle as one. One class, one destiny. That destiny is the World Socialist Revolution.

It seems now that our revolution will begin in Latin America. Our comrades there, however, cannot do it alone. They tell us that we are just as important as they are. In the words of Ernesto Guevara, that brave Argentinean internationalist and revolutionary, "I envy you. You North Americans are very lucky. You are fighting the most important fight of all - you live in the heart of the beast."

We call on all supporters of the Venezuelan, Cuban, Bolivian, Latin American, and world revolution to join us in defending these movements against the imperialists. Join the Hands Off Venezuela campaign. Help us counter the lies of the corporate media, and band together with your brothers and sisters so that one day we may join them in the emancipation of our class and our world! Hands off Venezuela! Hands off Cuba! Hands off Latin America! Forward the World Revolution!